TNT’s HawthoRNe – 6/8/10

I had the chance to watch the season premiere and the third epsiodes of TNT’s HawthoRNe. I was absolutely thrilled to be able to see them early, as the show is wondeful and I am extremely excited about the second season, which starts June 22nd. The doors of Richmond Trinity have closed…permanently. That’s the dramatic reality that opens the second season. Christina Hawthorne, a Chief Nursing Officer, is ready for battle on the front lines of a war against declining patient services and hospital budget cuts.

Jump with me for more info about the show in general and the upcoming season.

The show is told from the point of view of nurses as they struggle against the odds to deliver the best care possible. The series also stars Michael Vartan (Alias) as Dr. Tom Wakefield, Richmond Trinity’s Chief of Surgery, who helped Christina’s husband during the last stages of his cancer; Suleka Mathew (Men in Trees) as Bobbie Jackson, a fellow nurse and one of Christina’s best friends; David Julian Hirsh (Lovebites) as Ray Stein, a nurse struggling with being accepted in a female-dominated profession; Christina Moore (90210) as Candy Sullivan, a nurse with a patriotic sense of duty; Vanessa Lengies (American Dreams) as Kelly Epson, who continues to find her footing as a nurse; and Hannah Hodson (TNT’s The Ron Clark Story) as Christina’s daughter Camille.

As the second season of HawthoRNe opens, several Richmond Trinity doctors and nurses have been transferred to James River, a failing hospital in terrible shape. There, Christina butts heads with the ER’s head nurse, Gail Strummer (Vanessa Bell Calloway – The District), who is extremely set in her ways. Christina is impressed, however, by the charming Dr. Steve Shaw (Adam Rayner – Mistresses), who hails from England, and the hard-working ER clerk Marcus Leeds (Collins Curtis Pennie – Half Nelson), who has his eye on Camille.

This season, Christina and Tom will try to forge a romantic relationship, especially now that he is no longer serving as Chief of Surgery and can devote more time to patient care and a private life. Bobbie will once again find herself helping out homeless mother, Isabelle. Ray’s lust-hate relationship with Dr. Marshall will hit some snags over Ray’s continued feelings toward Candy, who is serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Kelly’s confidence as a nurse will slowly build, thanks in part to her work with a nurse (guest star Sarah Gilbert – Roseanne) who’s even more insecure. And Camille takes a step toward adulthood that her mother isn’t sure she’s prepared to take.

Some of the things I can tell you about the two episodes I’ve seen:

The move from Richmond Trinity to James River is rather abrupt and shocking. The reception the Richmond Trinity crew does not get a warm reception at first, but by the end of the third episode, we do see a bit of a different side to them.

Christina’s office at James River is nowhere near a traditional office. The whole setup seems like quite a step down for our favorite nurses and doctors. They are tough, though, and make it work, and some, like Kelly, thrive in the new environment.

There isn’t a bunch of Christina/Tom interaction in the season premiere, but there is quite a bit in the 3rd episode.

Speaking of the third episode, Road Narrows, the entire episode keeps you holding your breath and on the edge of your seat! A tragic accident occurs that affects the entire hospital, although some much more than others. What happens in the last five minutes is literally jaw-dropping.

The second season of HawthoRNe premieres on TNT on June 22nd at 9/8c. Stay tuned for interviews with both Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Vartan! Check out the show on Twitter and Facebook!